Entrepreneurs’ Programme

The Entrepreneurs’ Programme is a suite of facilitation services which assist small and medium businesses to innovate and grow. It focuses on opportunities to improve:

business innovation capability

business research collaboration

innovative entrepreneurship and commercialisation

Program outline

The Entrepreneurs’ Programme supports small and medium businesses to improve business capability and competitiveness, promote economic growth and support the commercialisation of new products, processes and services. The programme is delivered through a network of facilitators and advisers, drawn from industry, to ensure businesses get the advice and support they need to improve their competitiveness and productivity. The primary focus is on providing access to the best advice and networks to solve business problems, rather than focusing on financial assistance.

Innovation Connections, provides support for business to collaborate with the research sector and connect with appropriate sources of expertise, technology and advice. This includes secondments of researchers into businesses.

Incubator Support, funds incubators and accelerators to develop the innovation ecosystem and support the growth and development of innovative start-ups.

Reporting and governance

The Minister has overall responsibility for the programme and appoints a Programme Delegate to administer the programme. The Programme Delegate is authorised to make decisions in relation to the administration of the programme.

The Entrepreneurs’ Programme Committee (EPC) assesses Accelerating Commercialisation grant applications and provides advice to the Programme Delegate on their merit for funding. The EPC also assess Incubator Support grants under the New-and-Existing component and provides advice to the Minister on their merit for funding.

The EPC is a sub-committee of Innovation and Science Australia, an independent statutory board with responsibility for providing strategic whole-of-government advice to the Government on all science, research and innovation matters.

The department acknowledges the traditional owners of the country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to them and their cultures and to the elders past and present.